Gentlemen Hussars…
An innovative suit will help riders ease lower back pain
ABC Magazine based on the materials of the University of Sunderland: Video game technology aids horse rider assessmentResearchers from the University of Sunderland (UK) have found an unexpected use for motion sensors, which are commonly used to create computer graphics in movies and video games.
They placed these sensors on the innovative XsensTM MVN suit, which will help relieve professional riders from lower back pain. This new product will be presented at the second International Saddle Research Trust Conference, which will be held in Cambridge in November this year. The researchers' article A preliminary investigation of the use of inertial sensing technology for the measurement of hip rotation asymmetry in horse riders is published in the journal Sports Technology.
According to the study's lead author Elizabeth Gandy, about one-third of all UK adults suffer from lower back pain. This problem is most often found among athletes, and especially among riders. They are forced to stay in an uncomfortable position for a long time with a bent spine and curved legs. However, until now, no studies have been conducted that would assess how this affects the health of riders.
The innovative XsensTM MVN suit, which has motion sensors sewn into the fabric, which are commonly used in the film and video game industry, was able to help in this. These sensors are located on the main joints. Information from the sensors is transmitted to a computer, where the smallest details of human movement are drawn in three-dimensional mode. The researchers tested their development on 12 professional riders. While riding a horse, the suit's sensors recorded the degree of rotation of the rider's hips.
Data analysis showed that all 12 riders are characterized by asymmetry of the femoral bones – the difference between the right and left bones reaches 27 degrees. In 83 riders, the greatest external rotation is observed in the right femur.
The results obtained can be used to improve the ergonomics of the movement of riders, planning their training and training. The researchers are confident that the innovative suit will find application in any sections of sports medicine, as well as in orthopedics and rehabilitation.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru16.06.2014